Auxiliary car-step



P. SWANSON.

AUXILIARY CAR STEP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. I920.

1,3533%, j Patented Sept. 21,1920.

VIII! 75$. 7555.2. (A? 1 WA) INVENTQR ATTORNEY rerun sweivson, or'so nAN, ivrmunsoref' I.

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To'dZZ whom it mag concern: a v Be it known that I, PETER S-wANsoN, a' citizen of the Unitedl'States,residing at Soudan, in the county of StfLouis and State of Minnesota, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Auxiliary Car-Steps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to auxiliary steps for railway car platforms and the principal object of the present invention is 'topro- "vide an improvement upon the steps now'ln use, constructed upon somewhat similar lines though having the objectionable feature of failing to function at times when the supporting mechanism of the step happens to be left unlocked and which failure is apt to result in serious accident ,to one in'the act of using the step. Other objects and advantages of the pe culiar construction will appearin the further description of the invention. Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application andv in which like reference characters indicate like parts: I

Figure 1 represents a rear elevation. of

the auxiliary step and itssupporting mechanism as applied to'th'e stationary platform step of a car, and A Fig. 2 is a' broken side elevation of same showing the step extended for use, and in dotted lines, its position when folded.

1 represent the side walls of the stationary steps of a car to which the auxiliary step 2 is pivotally suspended by the metal straps 3-3 they being pivotally attached as at l to the sides of the stationary steps 5 in any desired manner. The step 2 is rigidly fixed to two supporting arms 66 which are sub stantially in line with and extend rearwardly a distance approximatelytwice the depth of thestep, where they are suspended upon depending crank arms 7'7 vmounted upon the cross shaft 8. This shaft is preferably square incross section'and' the crank arms are provided with suitable hubs 9 for secure mounting upon said shaft.

In a convenient location near the top of the fixed steps 5, upon one side thereof and accessible for operating the auxiliary step is mounted upon the stub shaft or pin 10 the hand lever 11, there being a suitable quadrant 12 in cooperative engagement with Specification of Iietter s -Patent; i 21- I Application 'fil ed ii feliruary 2,1920. Serial No. 355,882; f f? i'the leverand' afspring lashes, is t rm mon in such structures. 'Extending forward from the shaft or p votal. support, 10jan d preferably as an"'integral portion of "the lever 11 1s the crank arm 14: which upon its.

latter at its opposite end being s'uitablyattached to the free end of the crank'arm 16 mounted upon the cross shaft '8 and by whlch'the latter isrocked for actuatingv the step. This latterly described arrangement of levers is, mounted externall of the Sidg of the fixed steps so as to be conveniently out of the way.-

From the sforegoing it is evident that the natural tendency of the auxiliary step and its immediate connections is to remain de-' pressed and in active position while the-- toggle connection intermediate of the cross 7 shaft 8 and the operating lever impart an opposltetendency thus nicely balancing the complete mechanism slightly in favor of the step remaining in extended position, so; I that the operation of the deviceis exceed;

1 8.0 V The lower' ends pf the crank arms? are provided with straight shoulders 17 formed ingly simple and easy of accomplishment.

at right angles thereto and which abut the straight horizontal face of each arm 6 when their connection with the step' when the latq ter is fully extended, Fthus insuring a constant tendency of-the step to lower andade va-nce, which will effectually counteract any opposite tendency when a weight is applied tothe step whether it is locked or'not and which opposite tendency has proven dangeru ous in other forms of'steps as before stated.

What I claim is:

' 1. The combination with the platformsteps of a railway-car having an auxiliary step pivotally suspended. upon depending straps below the lowermost stationary step, of the pivotal connection of the lowermost end of the straps to the auxiliary step beg 'ing inwardly of the pivotal connection of the uppermost end of thestraps to the sta- .6 1 free end, pivotally supports the link .15, the

tionary steps when'th'e auxiliarystep is in extended position substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination wlth the platform steps of a railway car having an auxiliary step pivotally suspended below the '10wer-- most stationary step, of straps depending nection of said straps 'to'the'stationary steps being outwardly of the pivotal connection of said straps to the auxiliary step when in fully extended position; a shaft installed beheath the stationary steps, arms rigidly fixedto and extending inwardly .of the aux- 15 iliary step, arms extending downwardly from the shaft and pivotally connected to the first mentionedarms, means at such con-p nection whereby tolimit the forward movement of the auxiliary step and means for 2 0 v manually locking the shaft, substantially as described." p

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the'presence of two witnesses,v

VVitnesses': o

v t E. N. NELsoN,

LOWNEY O. HEQMAN.'JV

PETER SWANSON." n r 

